Man City CEO expects Pelligrini to deliver five trophies in five years

Manchester City chief executive Ferran Sorriano has said the club expects new manager Manuel Pelligrini to help the team win a trophy each year, including the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Cup, following the sacking of previous coach Roberto Mancini.

The embarrassing defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup final and poor management skills, saw Mancini lose his job. Pelligrini will be appointed as his replacement in another 10 days, the Mirror reports.

Sorriano said he believes City will emerge stronger after Mancini's departure and will have a better next season. The club aims to move forward and has set itself the goal of winning five trophies in five years, the ultimate one being the Champions League.

Sorriano claimed that the target is realistic and intends to see City football develop as much as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, finishing second in the Premier League and losing the FA Cup Final again.

Sorriano also said that he intends to adopt a football philosophy of nurturing their home-grown talent, similar to Manchester United's 1992 team that yielded talents such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville.

Amid the uproar following Mancini's dismissal, Sorriano admitted that Mancini was not able to bring consistency in the team which is possible with core home-grown players who have played for a long time with the club and are well acquainted with the club's style of playing and with the other players too.

Sorriano further said that the club intends to develop a football concept shared and followed across teams including both young and top-level teams.

Claiming that City's vision is to make sure that at least half of the players are 'City' players, Sorriano said that though expensive players will be signed into the team, Pelligrini will need to have a close collaboration with the youth football to maximize the club's chances of winning.

According to the report, City's baffling inconsistency last season made the club lose to Southampton, Everton and Tottenham despite having talented and capable players.

Sorriano is convinced that Pelligrini will be able to churn out more from the club, bring in more stability in the culture and playing styles, making it a consistent winner and setting a new level of football, despite players from different clubs, continents or cultures. (ANI[6])